Re: A useless machine

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From	Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
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Subject	Re: A useless machine
Date	Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:01:46 -0700
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Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> writes:

> BGB wrote:
[...]
>> Then, further realized that, since one doesn't just need *one*
>> number with the probability of a divergent path, one needs an
>> infinite series (since any non-divergent path immediately collapses
>> back into a convergent path).
>
> You do have to detect an infinite loop, but that's easy to do:  Even
> if you don't employ the classic one-step/two-step approach, simply
> stopping after 8k iterations and then let the supervisor check it
> properly would be fine.

Finding a number that took more than 8000 steps before reaching a
value less than the starting point would be a major find in itself,
given the empirical results of where such starting points are likely
to be.  (The number of steps before reaching a value less than the
starting point is called the glide.)

Furthermore, detecting even one loop other than 4-2-1 would be a
nontrivial computational expenditure all by itself.  It is known
that any such loop would have a cycle length of at least a billion
(or some number near that, but on that order).

Thread

A useless machine Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-02-14 09:57 +0000
  Re: A useless machine MitchAlsup <user5857@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-02-14 18:48 +0000
    Re: A useless machine David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-14 20:18 +0100
      Re: A useless machine MitchAlsup <user5857@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-02-14 21:22 +0000
        Re: A useless machine Stephen Fuld <sfuld@alumni.cmu.edu.invalid> - 2026-02-14 13:30 -0800
        Re: A useless machine David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-15 12:50 +0100
          Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-21 13:48 -0600
            Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-21 21:40 +0100
              Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-21 15:17 -0600
                Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-22 04:50 -0600
              Re: A useless machine Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-03-12 21:01 -0700
            Re: A useless machine David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-22 14:43 +0100
              Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-22 12:38 -0600
                Re: A useless machine David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-23 10:51 +0100
                Re: A useless machine MitchAlsup <user5857@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-02-26 01:27 +0000
                Re: A useless machine David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-26 09:21 +0100
                Re: A useless machine Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-03-12 21:11 -0700
      Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-15 14:58 +0100
      Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-21 12:27 -0600
        Re: A useless machine David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-22 15:14 +0100
      Re: A useless machine Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2026-02-22 11:41 -0500
        Re: A useless machine David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-23 10:53 +0100
          Re: A useless machine Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2026-02-23 10:52 -0500
  Re: A useless machine Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-02-14 21:19 -0800
  Re: A useless machine Robert Finch <robfi680@gmail.com> - 2026-02-15 03:58 -0500
    Re: A useless machine David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2026-02-15 13:14 +0100
      Re: A useless machine Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-02-15 15:46 +0000
      Re: A useless machine Robert Finch <robfi680@gmail.com> - 2026-02-15 10:56 -0500
        Re: A useless machine MitchAlsup <user5857@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-02-15 19:16 +0000
          Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-15 22:40 +0100
            Re: A useless machine Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-02-26 19:31 +0000
        Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-18 18:22 +0200
          Re: A useless machine Robert Finch <robfi680@gmail.com> - 2026-02-18 22:56 -0500
            Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-19 12:10 +0200
              Re: A useless machine Robert Finch <robfi680@gmail.com> - 2026-02-21 01:56 -0500
                Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-21 19:23 +0200
                Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-21 20:36 +0200
                Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-22 10:46 +0200
                Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-22 12:45 +0100
                Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-22 16:35 +0200
                Re: A useless machine Robert Finch <robfi680@gmail.com> - 2026-02-22 19:12 -0500
                Re: A useless machine Robert Finch <robfi680@gmail.com> - 2026-02-22 19:47 -0500
                Re: A useless machine EricP <ThatWouldBeTelling@thevillage.com> - 2026-02-21 15:39 -0500
                Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-22 03:16 +0200
                Re: A useless machine EricP <ThatWouldBeTelling@thevillage.com> - 2026-02-22 14:48 -0500
                Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-22 23:25 +0200
            Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-19 11:51 +0100
              Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-19 23:12 +0200
                Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-20 15:11 +0100
            Re: A useless machine Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2026-02-19 15:27 -0500
              Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-20 11:41 +0200
              Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-22 18:41 -0600
                Re: A useless machine Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-02-23 11:10 +0000
                Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-23 17:24 -0600
                Re: A useless machine Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-02-24 06:44 +0000
                Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-24 01:38 -0600
                Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-24 03:16 -0600
                Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-24 04:52 -0600
                Re: A useless machine Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-02-24 11:16 +0000
                Re: A useless machine BGB <cr88192@gmail.com> - 2026-02-24 13:19 -0600
                Re: A useless machine Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2026-03-12 21:14 -0700
          Re: A useless machine Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-02-20 08:01 +0000
    Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-15 15:35 +0200
      Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-15 18:33 +0200
        Re: A useless machine Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-02-15 19:19 +0000
          Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-16 12:31 +0200
            Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-17 15:41 +0200
              Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-17 18:17 +0200
    Re: A useless machine anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2026-02-15 22:41 +0000
  Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-15 14:52 +0100
    Re: A useless machine Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-02-15 16:45 +0000
      Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-15 18:01 +0100
        Re: A useless machine Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-02-15 19:42 +0000
          Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-15 22:59 +0100
            Re: A useless machine Robert Finch <robfi680@gmail.com> - 2026-02-15 21:53 -0500
              Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-16 12:40 +0200
                Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-16 20:34 +0200
              Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-16 16:08 +0100
  Re: A useless machine Stephen Fuld <sfuld@alumni.cmu.edu.invalid> - 2026-02-16 07:50 -0800
    Re: A useless machine Michael S <already5chosen@yahoo.com> - 2026-02-16 18:31 +0200
    Re: A useless machine Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> - 2026-02-18 21:56 +0100

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